Backbreaker News Post

Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

10:15 PM - May 28, 2010 by Steve_OS

Pastapadre has posted his early impressions of Backbreaker.

Quote:


	"All games have been played on Pro-Hard (the highest difficulty). Needless to say I�m not sure anyone will lose to the CPU even on the toughest setting. I don�t consider myself good at this game yet, I�d maybe say I�m decent, but if I played the CPU 100 times I�m confident I would beat them 100 times. The ineptness on offense even from the best offensive squads is startling. Being able to stretch out the quarters did seem to help as the CPU does not make mistakes at quite the same rate. The way the CPU threw INTs in the demo would have meant 10+ INTs in a game with five minute quarters. So far I�m seeing an average of about five INTs by the CPU per game with five minute quarters. The INTs were my biggest concern going in but along with that has been the inability of the CPU to move the ball on offense and put points on the board. The first full game I played was with a mediocre Seattle defense up against one of the best teams in the game New England. You can look at the stats below. Given it was my first time through I wouldn�t expect to be able to beat a good team on the hardest difficulty but I did so with ease. New England has one of the better offenses and threw seven picks. They got one big pass play when an AI controlled DB played a throw poorly and they took it the distance."

Game: BackbreakerReader Score: 6/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 51 - View All

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Member Comments

# 41 CreatineKasey @ 05/29/10 01:03 AM

I can't complain about the fact that they let me really play the game before I bought it. I respect that. The truth is, they probably lost a sale out of be from it, but I do appreciate the opportunity to test the product before I lay money down.

# 42 CreatineKasey @ 05/29/10 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreyIM2


	Whoa. Didn't know there were no sharing of rosters, or, more so, no ability to re-create the NFL. Another negative sticky posted on my BB marker board.

Well, I bet you could share rosters by jumping through hoops, but it won't be convenient.

The impossibility to re-create the NFL comes from the impossibility to edit players.

Anyway, I'm done talking about negatives with this game. It is what it is. I hope you guys have a blast with it!

# 43 sleepyeagle @ 05/29/10 01:31 AM

This has become a fairly controversial game, lol. It's really as simple as this, If the game is fun to you...buy it! If the game isn't fun to you, don't buy it!

I could care less about recreating the NFL, and I'm probably going to buy Madden too when it comes out. I'm buying Backbreaker because it's fun as shyt and I have the extra $50 to kick out for it.

We gotta get back to the REAL reason we buy games, to entertain ourselves!

# 44 swaldo @ 05/29/10 01:38 AM

Pasta just posted a comment that he just had a competitive game using a 26 rated defense against a 64 rated offense. His "D" still had 5 picks and gave up 17 points, but if he takes on Philly with the best offense then maybe there is hope?

# 45 swaldo @ 05/29/10 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeetaa6


	...but do the significant issues wipe out the overall replay value and fun factor?

No, the first time you make a great play you'll be hooked.

# 46 Valdarez @ 05/29/10 02:11 AM

Bleh, it's a typical Pasta Padre, on the EA paybooks, writeup and not worthy of a post on operationsports.com. Nothing but negatives and no positives. No surprise there. I can find more positives in the game just from playing the demo than Padre provided in his 'full game review'.

# 47 allBthere @ 05/29/10 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseySuave4


	basically what ive seen from the user comments is that the people wishing and praying for this game to be unbeliveable hate this review and just brush it off as an EA-fanboy who doesnt know what he is talking about and is just focusing on the negatives and those with lower expectations and more unsure feelings on this game are glad that he goes in depth about the glaring weaknesses and issues this game provides. I agree with the 2nd group. For a game that ive never played before (cant even get a ps3 demo), that i have no background with, that is making their 1st football game... i want to know what issues are in this game before i decide to spend my money on it. The BB guys can talk about their great tackling system or how much customization the game has but how is them selling you on the positives any better than pasta talking about the negatives? If anything, what pasta is doing is more benefitial because he's telling you some of the things wrong with the game so you know in advance instead of after you spend money on the game and then get upset finding these things out on your own. There have been quite a few people on these boards that want BB to be the answer to football games. They are wishing the game is great. And they hate Madden. I'm not a fan of Madden either but i'm also not blindly hoping for some game to be amazing and praising everything about it and ignoring the negatives without having any experience with the game. Some of you just ignore or throw away any negatives people say about this game and brush it off as EA fanboyism or some other stupid excuse because you dont want to admit that this game is not what you are hoping it is.

who's doing that? My post was the first one slamming the POV of the author lol...and this goes back to me checking out his site every once in a while for years now.

We all know the negatives of the game. I do, I've mentioned them as well. I've played the demo too! I always get sucked into debates like this because it bothers me when people turn the criticism back onto the poster. I know the game has major flaws, I also played the demo the most I've even done except maybe UFC '09's demo. I'm buying the game and playing the demo not because I want the game to be good, but because I actually like it - comprende?

Believe me, if I didn't like it and though it was worthy of a thrashing like that article I wouldn't buy the game. I don't even blame people for disliking the demo and/or game. But with him, I have a sample and pile of evidence of his lack of objectivity and just irks the hell out of me.

As I said it's all in the tone and style - compare that with games that are in the same boat or worse (for people who don't enjoy BB) with those impressions and you see a clear discrepancy in fair journalism. As someone else mentioned, you could write the same thrashing for most sports titles out there.

BUT perhaps it's not journalism at all and more like a semi-popular blogger...I should probably just ignore it, but it's hard when it gets its own threads started here on this site.

One of my biggest points of posting in this thread was the basically scream out that if you're going to take any early impressions or otherwise thread seriously - this is THE last guy to listen to/read. I can prove the agenda by breaking down articles if it has to come to that (which it won't lol...mods would lay the smack down) If you're looking to get hyped about Madden and other EA sports titles, - THIS GUY IS YOUR MAN!!!

Anyway I'll end with this. What the 6-man team at natural motion in the beginning was able to do blows me away and gives me hope for the future of sports videogames. They delivered what in their words is a truly "live action sports game". The game is so fun and dynamic because it literally has it's own butterfly affect. The plays are determined by behaviours and positions and force etc... rather than "animations". They set out to revolutionize the genre, and I believe they have at least in some substantial way. It's not just 'cool looking tackles' ...the game's randomness will make it hard to go back to anything else. Kudos to them for doing the impossible, and making a decent football game that 's (to me) a lot of fun to play. What they've accomplished already imo is quite significant. My enjoyment of the game isn't blind at all, it's pretty damn fun...my advice to you would be to actually play the game and see if you like it before defending a niche internet blogger for slamming a game you've never even played.

# 48 bkrich83 @ 05/29/10 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swaldo


	No, the first time you make a great play you'll be hooked.

SWALDO did you pick the game up yet? Are you posting in the impressions thread? I am interested to hear your take on the final release.

I am picking my copy up tomorrow.

# 49 bkrich83 @ 05/29/10 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SemperVictoria


	Pastapadre is a HUGE EA fanboy. Just look at some of his previous reviews and such on Madden�it�s obvious. However, I don�t think anyone can sugarcoat what appear to be major flaws with BackBreaker. And no one is more disappointed than me�I feel as if I�m in football gaming Purgatory.

This is my stance as well. PastaPadre is what he is, a well known EA fanboy. But given what we've heard from people who have the game, plus what we saw for ourselves in the demo, he does not appear to be off, or overhyping the issues.

# 50 SemperVictoria @ 05/29/10 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkrich83


	This is my stance as well. PastaPadre is what he is, a well known EA fanboy. But given what we've heard from people who have the game, plus what we saw for ourselves in the demo, he does not appear to be off, or overhyping the issues.

Agreed. He only seems to be confirming what some of us had feared after playing the demo.

# 51 EvanRG @ 05/29/10 03:03 AM

All these comments were more exciting than the actual impressions post!

Football Revolutionists vs Hardcore Realists

Unfortunately, I do fall on the latter side. Demo was a lot of fun, but we're only a month and a half away from NCAA 11, so I will be restraining from a purchase -- ultimately due to lack of sliders. This is still an important game for the progression of realistic football video games though and I hope it performs well in the market.

# 52 dmick4324 @ 05/29/10 03:24 AM

This is the first time I've read anything written by Pastapadre so I'm not going to pretend I know about his "EA fanboyism." That being said after I finished reading I was left thinking "O.K., so I guess part 1 was for the negatives, and part 2 of his impressions are going to discuss the positives." To say that he covered the positives with the quick comment about Euphoria is pretty funny. That was in between the 7 straight bullets of negatives.

Reviews mean nothing. Me and my friend played Dynasty Warriors 6 for hours upon hours. What did that review get, like a 6? We had a blast with that game. I read impression threads and articles to find out information I didn't already know, and I knew the negatives already. I won't allow an early impression tell me I'll never lose a game, I'll play the game and find out.

# 53 JRod @ 05/29/10 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvanRG


	All these comments were more exciting than the actual impressions post! Football Revolutionists vs Hardcore Realists Unfortunately, I do fall on the latter side. Demo was a lot of fun, but we're only a month and a half away from NCAA 11, so I will be restraining from a purchase -- ultimately due to lack of sliders. This is still an important game for the progression of realistic football video games though and I hope it performs well in the market.

Don't know if what exists on the market is exactly made for the hardcore realists.

# 54 Bgamer90 @ 05/29/10 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SemperVictoria


	Pastapadre is a HUGE EA fanboy. Just look at some of his previous reviews and such on Madden�it�s obvious.

Funny since he was one of the first to come out with the news that Madden 07 didn't have fatigue.

Anyways, don't see why anyone is critiquing his views so heavily... what he's saying has been confirmed by others that have the game. Also, he actually has the game unlike many who are critiquing him.

# 55 Skyboxer @ 05/29/10 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkrich83


	SWALDO did you pick the game up yet? Are you posting in the impressions thread? I am interested to hear your take on the final release. I am picking my copy up tomorrow.

You getting 360 version bk? Hope to grab a copy today. If I can sneak away from wife long enough.

# 56 bkrich83 @ 05/29/10 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyboxer


	You getting 360 version bk? Hope to grab a copy today. If I can sneak away from wife long enough.

I think I am going to get it for the 360. That seems to be what everyone I would play online is getting if for. Has anyone heard of any differences in the versions as far as performance or graphics go?

# 57 bkrich83 @ 05/29/10 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrikan


	Does he have a video of himself beating the CPU easily like he claims? I'd love to see that...... also, what are "early" impressions....are these not covered in an embargo? how come there are not more "early" impressions from other sites.

Not sure. Did he get the game from 505? Or did he like many others around here manage to get it himself personally. If it's the latter, then the embargo does not apply to him.

If it's like the Demo, I could maybe see that. I still haven't given up a TD to the CPU in the demo. Now like I said earlier I haven't put the same time in to the demo as others have (long week of work), but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility to be honest. I don't know his skillset, but it's not unimaginable.

I am not sure why the reviewer is always to blame when this game gets some negative press.

# 58 Playmakers @ 05/29/10 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgoblue678


	I just wonder when you claim to have a game built on customization how can you not allowing editing of player ratings, have no create a player and not allow the user to pick their own quarter length? Don't claim "great customization" if that is the case. A fantastic logo editing and uniform editor by themselves do not equal "great customization." The devs dropped the ball on what could have been an incredible game IMO.

Well if this is true then that comment just sealed the deal for me.....

No way in hell can I pick up this game without being able to edit my own player ratings........

You can't even make the CPU players smarter to jump start their offense...

# 59 blackscorpion11 @ 05/29/10 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelman990


	Yes, pasta had some valid points, but I cant help but wonder how the review would have read if it had been another game, and what the ending score might have been. I have a feeling it would be 2 pages of positives, and these negative issues would be squeezed in a small paragraph somewhere. My point is, I dont feel any credit was given to what this game has done right, and acomplished. The gameplay and physics are simply in another world. Its sad they really got no credit at all.

He lied by omission, he spent several pargraphs bashing the game and one positive sentence on the physics..But he has the right to his opinion..I personally dont see what the big deal is, other games have flaws at release and get patched..why not this one?

# 60 blackscorpion11 @ 05/29/10 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrikan


	well, I don't know if that last sentence was directed to me....but its not about blaming him for anything....its just that from my time playing the game...the CPU is not as easy as he claims.....so I'd love to see him play, it wouldn't be that hard...he has put up videos in the past, I believe. now from streams I've seen from full games....the CPU does make stupid decisions late in games...mainly the draw plays in key long situations.....that needs to be fix and should easily be fixed.... for now I think a setting of Medium, with Human's player form low...might cause less interceptions.....but I'll find out tomorrow morning... I think the Hard setting might be too hard for the CPU's QB against the AI defensive teammates of the Human......if that makes sense...lol. but yeah, if anyone is part of Pasta's website, ask him to put up videos of him beating the computer....with the weakest teams...lol.

I thought about it and ive never played a game on its highest setting and never lost... lowers his impressions credibility

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